Rescue and salvage ship

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Rescue and salvage ships (hull classification symbol ARS) are a type of military salvage tug. [1] They are tasked with coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Their general mission capabilities include combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting, and manned diving operations. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] They were common during World War II.

Contents

List of rescue and salvage ships of the United States Navy by class

The following ship classes have been designated under the ARS hull classification symbol in United States Navy Service.

Lapwing-class minesweeper conversions

The Lapwing-class salvage ship USS Discoverer (ARS-3) as USC&GS Discoverer c. 1935 USS Discoverer (ARS-3).jpg
The Lapwing-class salvage ship USS Discoverer (ARS-3) as USC&GS Discoverer c. 1935

The earliest designated United States Navy salvage ships (ARS) were converted Lapwing-class minesweepers. Ships of this type were operated by the United States Navy as salvage ships from June 1941 until USS Viking was decommissioned and scrapped in 1953.

Diver class

The Diver-class salvage ship USS Safeguard (ARS-25) USS Safeguard (ARS-25).jpg
The Diver-class salvage ship USS Safeguard (ARS-25)

The United States Navy operated Diver-class rescue and salvage ships (ARS) from October 1943 until the last example was decommissioned in July 1979. Several ships of this class were converted to other uses, and USS Shackle remained in service as the 213' United States Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Acushnet until March 2011. [7]

Miscellaneous civilian vessel conversions

Several ships were converted and redesignated as salvage ships (ARS) during World War II.

Anchor class

The Anchor-class rescue and salvage ship USS Restorer (ARS-17) USS Restorer (ARS-17).jpg
The Anchor-class rescue and salvage ship USS Restorer (ARS-17)

The United States Navy operated Anchor-class rescue and salvage ships (ARS) from October 1943 until March 1946.

Weight class

The Weight-class salvage ship USS Swivel (ARS-36). USS Swivel (ARS-36).jpg
The Weight-class salvage ship USS Swivel (ARS-36).

The United States Navy operated Weight-class rescue and salvage ships (ARS) from August 1943 until the last example was decommissioned in June 1946. The Weight-class ships were originally intended for delivery to the Royal Navy under different names, as part of the Lend-Lease program. However, they were instead delivered to and operated by the United States Navy.

Bolster class

The Bolster-class salvage ship USS Opportune (ARS-41) USS Opportune (ARS-41) underway on 1 November 1983 (6430328).jpg
The Bolster-class salvage ship USS Opportune (ARS-41)

Bolster-class rescue and salvage ships (ARS) were operated by the United States Navy from July 1944 until the last example was decommissioned in September 1994.

Safeguard class

The Safeguard-class salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) 130628-N-YU572-698.jpg
The Safeguard-class salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52)

Safeguard-class salvage ships (T-ARS) are operated by Military Sealift Command in support of United States Navy operations. They were operated by the United States Navy as commissioned auxiliaries from November 1982 until the last example (Safeguard) was decommissioned in September 2007. [6] Two are currently in service as part of the MSC. [9]

Related Research Articles

The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.

Military Sealift Command United States Navy command overseeing logistics

Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US military services as well as for other government agencies. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's ocean transport needs. The MSTS was renamed the Military Sealift Command in 1970.

USCGC <i>Acushnet</i> (WMEC-167) United States Coast Guard cutter

USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167) was a cutter of the United States Coast Guard, homeported in Ketchikan, Alaska. She was originally USS Shackle (ARS-9), a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels and received three battle stars during World War II, before a long career with the Coast Guard. Acushnet patrolled the waters of the North Pacific and was one of the last World War II era ships on active duty in the US fleet upon her retirement in 2011.

The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMEC is a type of United States Coast Guard Cutter mainly consisting of the 270-foot (82 m) Famous- and 210-foot (64 m) Reliance-class cutters. These larger cutters are under control of Area Commands. These cutters have adequate accommodations for crew to live on board and can do 6 to 8 week patrols.

Grapple may refer to:

USNS <i>Grapple</i> (T-ARS-53)

USS Grapple (ARS-53) is a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship in the United States Navy. Her home port is Norfolk, Virginia. On 13 July 2006 Grapple was decommissioned from US Navy service and converted to civilian operation by Military Sealift Command. She was redesignated as USNS Grapple.

USNS <i>Bridge</i> (T-AOE-10) Supply-class fast combat support ship

USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10),, is the fourth ship of the Supply-class of fast combat support ships in the United States Navy. She is the second ship in the Navy named after Horatio Bridge, a Commodore who served during the Civil War. Bridge was commissioned on 5 August 1998.

USNS <i>Safeguard</i> (T-ARS-50)

USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50),, is the lead ship of her class and the second United States Navy ship of that name.

USNS <i>Vindicator</i> (T-AGOS-3)

USNS Vindicator (T-AGOS-3) was a United States Navy Stalwart-class modified tactical auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship that was in service from 1984 to 1993. Vindicator then served in the United States Coast Guard from 1994 to 2001 as the medium endurance cutter USCGC Vindicator (WMEC-3). From 2004 to 2020, she was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet as the oceanographic research ship NOAAS Hi'ialakai.

USS <i>Lipan</i> (AT-85) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Lipan (AT-85) was a Navajo-class fleet tug constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned." She served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II and the Korean War. She was awarded two battle stars for World War II and four battle stars for the Korean War.

USS <i>Shackle</i> (ARS-9)

USS Shackle (ARS-9) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels.

USS <i>Seize</i> (ARS-26)

USS Seize (ARS-26) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.

USNS <i>Kiska</i> (T-AE-35) Ammunition ship of the United States Navy

USNS Kiska (T-AE-35), ex-USS Kiska (AE-35) was one of five ammunition ships operated by Military Sealift Command of the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. The ship was laid down on 8 April 1971 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi as USS Kiska (AE-35) and was launched on 11 March 1972. Originally commissioned on December 16, 1972 she was decommissioned on 1 August 1996, and that same day entered service with Military Sealift Command as USNS Kiska (T-AE-35). She continued to operate under Military Sealift Command's control until she was deactivated at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on January 15, 2011. Kiska is the eighth and final ship of the Kilauea-class ammunition ships. Kiska was disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration as of May 30, 2013. Kiska was completely dismantled to its material content by Esco Marine, Inc. in Brownsville, TX on November 20, 2013.

USNS <i>Grasp</i> (T-ARS-51) Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship

USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51) is a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship, the second United States Navy ship of that name.

The Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force is a division of the US Navy. The 42 ships of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force are the supply lines to U.S. Navy ships at sea. These ships provide virtually everything that Navy ships need, including fuel, food, ordnance, spare parts, mail and other supplies. NFAF ships enable the Navy fleet to remain at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time. NFAF ships also conduct towing, rescue and salvage operations or serve as floating medical facilities. All NFAF ships are government owned and crewed by civil service mariners. Some of the ships also have a small contingent of Navy personnel aboard for operations support, supply coordination and helicopter operations.

USNS <i>Pecos</i> (T-AO-197) Oiler of the United States Navy

USNS Pecos (T-AO-197) is a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler operated by the Military Sealift Command to support ships of the United States Navy, and the third such ship to be named after the Pecos River.

<i>Safeguard</i>-class rescue and salvage ship United States Navy salvage and rescue ships

The Safeguard class is a class of Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship under the United States Navy.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .

  1. ↑ http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/s_ARS.htm Archived 2014-07-21 at the Wayback Machine Naval Vessel Register: "SALVAGE SHIP"
  2. ↑ "USS Salvor Command History 1986" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "USS Grapple Command History 2002" (PDF).
  4. ↑ Petty, Dan. "The US Navy -- Fact File: Rescue and Salvage Ships T-ARS". www.navy.mil.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/37/37idx.htm NavSource Photo Archives: Rescue and Salvage Ship (ARS) Index
  6. 1 2 http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=188 Military Sealift Command Ship Inventory: Rescue Salvage Ships
  7. ↑ http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guards-queen-of-the-fleet-shifts-acushnet-being-decommissioned/2011/03/11/ Coast Guard News: "Coast Guard's Queen of the Fleet shifts, Acushnet being decommissioned"
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/auxrescue.htm Archived 2014-02-19 at the Wayback Machine Salvage and Rescue Ships (ARS, ARSD, ARST, ASR, ATS)
  9. ↑ http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2007/November/safeguard.htm%7C Sealift "USNS Safeguard joins MSC fleet"
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